A Hunting We Will Go!

Josh will be going on a hunt this August. A group called "Outdoors Without Limits" (formerly known as Wheelin' Sportsmen) has sponsored Josh to go on a hunt. They do this every year and this is Josh's lucky year. One family from the group has taken Josh under their wing. The husband (Ken) takes Josh out for shooting practice and then feeds him. You can't ask for more than that!!! This couple truly has a heart for people. They live about 40 minutes away, but they come and pick Josh up and take him back to where they live to do the shooting practice and then bring him home. I have offered to drive one direction, but they won't hear of it.

Today, Ken picked up Josh to hang out at a shooting tournament and then will take Josh back out to his place for a steak dinner with his family. Josh is just loving all this. Since Josh started shooting guns, he has bought a BB gun. I didn't even know Josh liked hunting and shooting guns.

I am so thankful for this couple and the "Outdoors Without Limits" group. They are making a huge difference for disabled young people. Josh has some really "down" moments in his life since the accident, but it's people like these that take the wounded spirit and lovingly lead it back to a healthy outlook. I hope that made sense? I am truly thankful for these people. Somehow the love from others can get through to a teenager's mind and heart where a parent can't.

We will let you know how the hunt went in a September update. By the way, they require a parent to come along, so Eric will get to go too. A little father-son bonding!

More Videos!

Josh is crawling forward across the gym. He actually crawled down the ramp to the gym and then across it.

Then he crawled backwards the whole way back. He can crawl much faster backwards, as you can see!

Josh is working on his leg muscles on a sliding board. I am amazed at what he can do now. He is receiving a lot of help from the therapist, but eventually he will do more and more on his own.

Josh walking on the track with his leg braces and walker. His knees are in the locked position. You have probably noticed that Josh is not wearing the support device around his middle anymore. He rarely needs it.

Josh is walking with his leg braces and the parallel bars.

More Videos



Josh walking on treadmill while suspended.



Standing and bending knees, all without leg braces.
This should get those muscles working again.



Standing...bending at knee and coming back up, all without the
use of leg braces. More strengthening of the leg muscles.



Walking on knees at the parallel bars. This works the leg muscles.



Walking backwards on knees at parallel bars.



Working the leg muscles with the use of weights and the support
of the therapist.



More leg-muscle work using weights. Concentrate on those
muscles Josh!

Lot's of Good Stuff Going On!

I got to see Josh in therapy yesterday, which was a real treat since I hadn't been up there in a looooong time. I have to get more pictures and video of his new workouts. He is doing more with his legs while on the exercise machines. Last time I went they were only working on his upper body to get that area BUFF! Now they are actually concentrating on his abs and leg muscles. YES! They even had him suspended over a treadmill while two therapist positioned his legs in a walking motion. Oh, this is getting GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will get some pictures and video to show you the proof. He is sitll working on crawling and walking with leg braces. It is a slooooow process, but it is paying off. I don't know how soon I will be able to get up to Josh's theapy again, but when I do...I will be packing a camera!

Nothing New

I guess we haven't updated in quite awhile. There isn't anything new. Josh is still going faithfully to therapy in Rockford. He has developed a pressure sore and has a few other spots that are not due to pressure.

Josh is not one to turn down a challenge...so now he holds many records at the Rockford SCI Recovery location. He has crawled all the way around the track, he has "walked" the fastest around the track, and holds the record for the most revolutions per hour on the Giger (kind of like an upside down bike). After setting that record he ended up having some sores on his heels and behind his knees due to friction against his shoes and against wraps used to hold his legs in place. He has visited a Wound Clinic to address these issues. We go again next week for a follow-up.

Josh has appeared in the October issue of the Grand Rapids Family Magazine. It was a very nice article about the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association. They included a picture of Josh in therapy on the Giger machine. We have a celebrity in the family!

Life is still full of ups and downs. Just being a teenager has a lot to do with this roller coaster ride. I am hoping those hormones settle and the "attitude" matures soon. I am starting to see glimpes of that happening... even though very slight.

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. We do have a lot to be thankful for.

Sue

Still Going Great!

Josh has been going pretty faithfully to therapy this summer. He is making great progress. He has been continuing to work hard on his walking with the leg braces and walker. He starts out walking with the legs straight, then one knee in unlocked so that it will bend at the appropriate times. It will support Josh by staying straight when his weight is over it properly. That has been the toughest part for Josh. He has to get the "feel" of the proper weight shift on the leg that is "unlocked" so that it will support him. Just in the last week or so they have unlocked both legs at the same time for a short period. By the time he finishes up with that his arms and hands (gripping the handles of walker) are so tired from supporting his whole body. On Monday he did a super job crawling. He went a long distance in a short amount of time.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) opened this branch at Champion Sports in Rockford last December. Josh started there in February. Josh was one of their first clients. They started out with just a few therapists and equipment, and have now grown tremendously in both areas. Josh is using new pieces of equipment all the time. And the people are coming from all over the country. Some have come from Florida and several from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The word is getting out! This is THE PLACE to come for the "cutting-edge" therapy for those with spinal cord injuries. Even people of notoriety (from this area) have come for therapy.

Several have traveled outside the US for stem cell surgery and many of the patients have been in the newspaper or on TV because of the great public interest in their progress. Some made the news because they were able to "walk" across the platform to get their school diplomas. Josh will be in the Grand Rapids Magazine (local magazine) soon. A reporter for the magazine came to one of Josh's basketball practices and wanted to do an article about disabled sports players. They may have interviewed others on the team, but they talked quite a bit with Josh and I and even came to Josh's therapy to take pictures. We'll let you know when it comes out.

School starts soon. Please pray that Josh will buckle down and GET IT DONE! He is not into academics and he has a few extra credits to make up in order to graduate next Spring.

Physical Therapy

Here is Josh with his new braces. Right now he is walking in the "locked-knee" mode. The next video shows him with one knee unlocked.

This is a taste of what is to come. It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but Josh is ready for it.

Physical Therapy

Here is what we've been waiting for. Here is Josh in his NEW leg braces. It will take some time to get used to the knees bending and not supporting his weight. Right now they have one leg straight and one that bends. He is a little frustrated right now since it demands more concentration to position the leg and foot properly to get the knee mechanism to do its job. He'll get it with a little time.

Once he gets this down, he will be able to spend more time up out of his chair so he doesn't have to deal with skin break-down. Not a pretty sight!

Physical Therapy

This contraption takes a person from a sitting position to a standing position and then allows them to move their legs. This was the first time that Josh tried it. He will most likely be using many more times.

Sorry about the crick in your neck. I will make sure my camera is positioned correctly so you don't end up having to see a chiropractor!

Video of Therapy...
At Last

I did my research and found a way to put video of Josh's therapy on this site. Yippy!!! Now you can see him in action!

Josh has been working very hard and is progressing very well. Josh has kept up his weight training after his accident and that has been a great asset. He is able to do more than the others that don't have his upper-body strength.

Today he got to use his new leg-braces. They bend at the knee automatically just when they should bend during normal walking. Josh was so proud of the fact they he was able to use the braces in this automatic setting on the first day after getting the braces. I guess the others have all had to use the "straight-legged" position for about a month before using them in the bending mode. He walked at least half way around the track with those braces, which is around 280 feet. What an exciting day.

I plan on watching Josh on Friday and if I don't forget to take the camera, I will get some video of Josh in his new braces. I can't wait!

Sue

Physical Therapy

This is called a Giger Pro. It works Josh's legs to help create new nerve pathways to the brain to get Josh walking again.

Physical Therapy

Sorry this is side-ways. I will have to remember to take my videos in "landscape" mode so it will apprear correctly.

If you cock your head to one side you will see how BUFF Josh is!

Physical Therapy

Josh does exercises on the equipment in the gym part of the Champion Sports facility.

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling forward up the ramp. He was able to crawl backwards first. So, this is quite an accomplishment to go forward UP a ramp. Yes, we see you Josh! Nice job! Keep it up!!!!!

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling on his own backwards up a ramp during physical therapy. This is the easiest way for him to crawl so he can do it quickly.

Chrysler 300M Special

THERAPY AT CHAMPION SPORTS

Josh is doing a great job at crawling. At first he could only crawl backwards. Then he started crawling backwards faster. Now he is crawling forward. For some reason they all can crawl backwards before forwards. Go figure!

They do their crawling on a ramp, so they are either crawling up the incline or down it. Josh wears a brace around his middle (to support his trunk), knee pads, and fleece shoe coverings to make his shoes slide easier. The fleeces have U of M logos on them. I asked the therapist what if a patient was a die-hard State fan; they may not want to wear the rival booties? I guess the therapist is a State fan, but the patients just have to wear what is there. The bootie maker must be a U of M fan. Josh likes U of M, so there is no problem here.


Josh also works out on the machines in the sports complex. He lifts weights and works on his abs every week. On Wednesdays he is in the pool. This past Wed. I came early and saw him in the pool. He was hanging onto a flotation device and was moving his legs back and forth. It is so much easier to move in the water. He then swam around the pool. The first time a therapist took him into the pool (last year), I was very nervous. She let go of Josh and let him figure things out for himself. She even kept her distance so Josh could work things out himself. Being a good loving mom that I am, I would have held onto him so that he wouldn't drown. But he didn't. I guess the therapist knew what she was doing.







Whew!
That one's done!




Our digital camera takes short video clips and if I can figure out how to upload those to this site, then you can see Josh is ACTION!


Until then, tootles.

Sue

THE CAR !!!
It's a Chrysler 300M Special!!!

Josh has admired this car for about 3-4 years now. It was owned by some friends at our church and Josh and the owner would joke around how it would be Josh's some day. Well, about a week ago, it became reality.

Josh has decked it out with a new cool (fluorescent blue lights) stereo system and a huge speaker in the trunk. Oh yeah! You can hear the beat in the house even with the windows shut! Oh, the things that make teenagers happy! Now we have to get hand-controls put in and get the driver's license and he is good to go.

We will have to get a picture for you real soon. It's a real nice looking car.

Sue

NEW LEG BRACES
On Friday, June 2nd, Josh had molds made of his legs in order to have the special braces made. He should be getting them very soon. These braces will help him to practice walking in a more normal way. They have special mechanisms at the knee so that they unlock when the knee normally would bend when walking. Since therapy started in February, he has been using straight-legged braces that stay locked at the knee.

During therapy Josh works on crawling, walking with the assistance of leg braces and a walker, weight-training, balance exercises on a mat or ball, therapy in the pool, and therapy with various other machines that work his leg muscles in hopes new nerve pathways will develop where the old ones were damaged.

Sorry I haven't updated this in awhile. Life happens!

Sue

PISTONS GAME

Tomorrow (Wed.) Eric, Josh, Kristi, and a couple friends are going to a Pistons Game in Auburn Hills at The Palace. They are all pretty excited! They will be getting back very late tomorrow night. What a great memory this will make.

Therapy is going very well. Josh is still working on the same things. It will take lots and lots of repeated exercising of the muscles to make progress. The day WILL come when Josh will walk again!!!

Josh did have a painful mishap at therapy yesterday. He accidentally dropped a weight on his pinky finger. OUCH!!! It split the skin and it really bled. Right after he left therapy we stopped at the pharmacy next door to pick up butterfly bandaids and a splint to protect it from getting bumped. It seems to be doing much better today. It still hurts, but it looks better.

Sue